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“Many of our teachers have been involved in the teaching for years, and they say being with the registrars keeps them learning." Dr Liza Lack - National Clinical Leader GPEP.

Teaching a generation

Medical education is one of the most important areas in the field of general practice and perhaps the most rewarding. Being a teacher or medical educator allows young registrars to realise their dreams in primary health care and go on to help thousands of patients over their careers.

Your wisdom and guidance can shape how future doctors provide health care for generations ahead so it is therefore no surprise that many medical teachers report high levels of job satisfaction.

The College needs teachers more than ever; a significant finding of the last workforce survey shows that more GPs are retiring early, resulting in a skill vacuum that is growing every year. Currently 22 percent of practices have been found functioning with an unfilled vacancy; without trained GPs New Zealand is facing a shortfall in front line health care.

Why become a teacher or medical educator?

Satisfaction of teaching GPs

Free up time to see more patients

Registrars may become future employees

Teaching counts towards continued medical education (CME)

Earn extra salary

Becoming a GP teacher

As a GP teacher, you will use your knowledge and experience to provide intimate one-on-one guidance to registrars. This is where you can get creative; case reviews, videotaping, role-play, sitting in on consultations and random case analysis are all tools to carefully track your registrar's progress.

Effective GP teachers are good listeners and can convey thoughts in an empathetic way while protecting registrars’ confidentiality. You will need to be culturally mindful of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and share knowledge of health equity.

Becoming a medical educator

As an experienced Fellow with the College, a medical educator will run seminars and workshops and carry out multiple practice visits to assess the progress of their registrars in line with the curriculum.